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I really need a new computer

Hello, this is my first post so be gentle. I have been reading a lot the past few days about computers and have decided to build my own. I have no experience and about $600 to spend. I am replacing my old Dell (pentium2) computer because I can't do anything with it.
I have seen people help out with parts lists on this forum and that's what I think I need. I don't need a monitor,keyboard mouse or speakers.
Can some one point me in the right direction? Or should I keep reading for a while and decide for my self?
Any help is appreciated and thanks in advance.

Thanks for the replies! I like to surf the web, listen to music and store my photo's with my computer. I would play some games and watch video if my machine was able to. I am not looking to build a gaming rig though, just an up to date machine on a slim budget.

First, getting a case with a power supply is not a good idea. Often, the case is okay, but the power supply is garbage. You also don't need to buy a separate heatsink and fan since one comes with the CPU. Actually, the 9400 GT would choke on Crysis, it just isn't powerful enough for that game. A $600 computer is a good price for a general/light gaming PC, here's a suggested setup. Note, that since I didn't know what exactly you were going to be doing with the PC, I cannot suggest top-of-the-line high performance stuff.

Power Supply: OCZ StealthXStream OCZ600SXS 600W - This is a good PSU, it's quiet, well built, and will provide more than enough power for your PC. $70 (Before $20 mail-in rebate)

Graphics Card: SAPPHIRE 100265HDMI Radeon HD 4830 512MB - This is a solid, mid-range card that will easily handle most tasks and will run good with most games. If you're wanting a high performance card, the HD 4870 or the GTX 260 will be good, but expensive, choices. Note that this motherboard supports Crossfire with ATI cards only. $89 (Before $15 mail-in rebate)

CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 7750 Kuma 2.7GHz - This is a dual core CPU with a high clock speed. Essentially, this is AMD's Phenom quad core processor with two cores shut off. It's an excellent mix of value and power. $65

Remember, this is a budget build. In order to avoid sacrificing on certain parts, I opted for AMD for budgetary reasons. Besides, it's not going to be a performance build so using more expensive parts might not be as beneficial. On some Black Edition processors, the heatsink is not included. On the Kuma, the one I selected, it is. If you want an even better CPU, you can go for the triple-core AMD Phenom II X3 720 2.8GHz or a quad core AMD Phenom II X4 920 2.8GHz. The Phenom II's are superior to the Athlon's and the regular Phenoms in terms of efficiency, heat, and power usage. But, few programs can take full advantage of more than two cores, so the only reason to get a quad is for futureproofing or if you're a high-end gamer. Reviews seem to indicate that AMD's Phenom II CPU's can hold their own against the mid-ranged Core 2 CPU's. You would need to run a BIOS update on the motherboard to get them to work (simple to do) and they blow away your $600 budget.

Well this is not as easy as I thought. I put the parts recommended by DJBPace07 together , turned it on and put the Vista disc in and nothing. I turned the machine off then back on and I can't get the disc drive to open again. Now what? I am getting a little discouraged, can someone help me?